Human giardiasis, caused by the intestinal flagellate Giardia duodenalis, is considered a zoonotic infection, although the role of animals in the transmission to humans is still unclear. Molecular characterisation of cysts of human and animal origin represents an objective means to validate or reject this hypothesis. In the present work, cysts were… (More)

BACKGROUND
Infectious diarrheal diseases remain an important cause of childhood morbidity in industrialized countries. The knowledge of the etiology and epidemiology of childhood diarrhea in a given area is needed to plan any measure designed to prevent or ameliorate diarrheal illness and to develop practice guidelines for the most appropriate stool… (More)

Dientamoeba fragilis, a protozoan with worldwide distribution is considered to be responsible for enteric disease in humans. A wide spectrum of clinical symptoms including; diarrhoea (acute or prolonged), flatulence, abdominal pains and other unspecific bowel symptoms have been ascribed to this parasite. Asymptomatic infection has also been reported.… (More)

Giardia duodenalis is a well recognised enteropathogen, while Dientamoeba fragilis is rarely detected and consequently it is not recognised as an important human pathogen. In 2002-2003, a survey has been carried out on enteroparasites in faecal samples of outpatients attending a day care centre in the town of Perugia (Central Italy). To improve the… (More)

Between 2002 and 2003 the Authors analyzed stool specimens of 1,989 subjects, 966 children (1-14 years old) and 1,023 adults, to investigate for intestinal protozoa too: 380 children and 656 adults with intestinal aspecific troubles, 546 children and 291 adults with acute diarrhoea, 40 children and 76 adults with prolonged diarrhoea. G. duodenalis prevailed… (More)

A cytotoxin inducing vacuolation in HEp-2 cells was detected in 19 (3.1%) of 618 stool specimens from children with diarrhea but in none of 135 from control children. Common enteric pathogens were found in only two (10.5%) of the 19 cytotoxin-positive stool specimens. The vacuoles induced by stool filtrates resembled those induced by the vacuolating toxin… (More)

The article reports data concerning a serosurvey carried out in the province of Gorizia as a part of a research project sponsored by the National Research Council (CNR) on the epidemiological status of leptospirosis in Northen Italy. Microagglutination tests have been carried out on sera taken from randomly chosen healthy people and from humans exposed to… (More)

Dientamoeba fragilis is a common intestinal parasite in humans. Transmission routes and natural host range are unknown. To determine whether pigs are hosts, we analyzed 152 fecal samples by microscopy and molecular methods. We confirmed that pigs are a natural host and harbor genotypes found in humans, suggesting zoonotic potential.

This work evaluates the presence of antibiotics in urine specimens and it points out the high incidence of patients, mainly hospitalized, for whom the urineculture is required in spite of the antibiotic therapy in course. The interference that the antibiotic, present in the urine, might cause in the evaluation of the bacteric concentration is discussed. The… (More)